The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-22
"rHE FACTS PROVED"
Yesterdays Sermon BY the Rev.
DR.. Talmage.
Faith the Christians Weapen-Evi-
depees OF the GOrpsl's
Power 20 Save.
IspucrlL TO TIE ArpIAL.I

Facts Proved" was the eubjec. Ct dis
course by the Rev. 7. De Witt Tai.
msge, DID,, todoy. His text was from
Acts Ill, Is: 1--WE are witnesses
Following was his sermon in full:
In the dsys Of George Stephenson,
the periector Of the locomotive engine,
the scientists proved concluslvely that
q railway train could never be driven
by steam power successfully and with.
out peril; but the rushing express
trains from Liverpool to Edinburgh
and from Edinburgh TO London have
made al the nation witnesses Of the
splendid achievement. Machinists
and nsvigstors proved conclusively |
that ct amer could never cross the
Atlantic ocean; but no sooner had
they successfully proved the impcssi-
bility Of such an undertaking than the
work was done, and the passengers on
the Cunard aud the Inman and the
National and the White Star lines are
witnesses. There went up q gufiaw OF
Wise laughter a. Prof. Moree's propo.
sition to make the lightning Of heaven
bis Grand bay, and 1t was proved
conclusively that the thing could
never be done; but now all the news
OF the wide world by Associated Press
put 10 your hands every morning and
night, has made all nations witnesses.
30 In tho time OF Christ 1t was
proved conclusively that IL was impo,-
sible for him to rise from the dead. II
was shown logically that when q man
was dead, and the heart and the liver
and the lungs having ceased to per.
form their Offices, the limbs would be
rigid beyond all power Of friction
or arousal. They showed II to be an
absolute absurdity that the dead
Christ should ever get up alive; but
no sooner had they proved this than
the dead Christ q ose, and the disci.
pies heheld Him, heard his voice, and
talked with Him, and they took the
witness stand 10 prove that to be true
which the wiseacres OF the day had
proved TO be impossible; the record
OF the experiment and OF the testimony
ia In the teX': Him hath God raised
from the dead, whereof We are wit
nesses."
Now, let me play the skeptic for I
moment. There Ia no God" says tn,
skeptic, "ior / have never seen Hin
. | with my physical eyesight. Your Bi
|. BILE IL a pack Of contradictions. Their
/, never was miracle. Lazarus was no
raised from the dead. and the waite
, was nevor turned into wine. You
0 religion 10 an imposition on tho credu
n lily Of the sges." There is an aget
. man moving in that pew as though h,
. would like 10 respond. Here az,
! hundreds OF people with faces q littl
: all through this house there 10 9 sup
J, pressed feeling which would like
0 speak out 10 behalf OF the truth Of on
Q glorious Christianity, as in the days 9
!, the tex, crying out: I'VE are vii
q neesesl"
= Tbs fact 10, that II this word Is eve
J. brought 10 God, II Will not be throug
q argument, but through testimony. 70
y might cover the whole earth wit
j. apologies for Christianity and learne
7. treatises In defense OF relielon-yo
D. would not convert eoul. Lectures o
70 harmony between science and relieio
are beautiful mental discipllnes, bV
have never saved a soul, and new,
will save q soul. Pat man OF h
m x'arld aud q man Of the church again
Q, each other, the man OF the world vi
/. In all probability get the trump
There are q thousand things In OF
o religion thai seem illogical to u
X world, and will slways seem tllogici
!. Oar weapon In this corh CT 10 .'a''
ty not logic; faith, net tbetaphysib
a faith, not profundlly; faith, not sch
', las'ic exploradon. Bot then, In ord
III 10 have faith We must have testimon
n ard II 500 men, OF 1000 men, or 60t
al 900 men, or 100000 men get .
a. and tell me they have Il
a the religion OF Jesus Christ 10y,
10 comfort, a help, an inspiration, a
I'd bound, az q iair-minded man, TO q
n. cept their testimony. l want ia
Ie now TO put before you three propol
IN lions, the truth OF which i think n
as auiience will attest with overwhelI
in Ing uDanimity.
ID The first proposition Ia; We a
a. witnesses that the religion OF o. n
I'd Ia able 10 convert q soul. The gosr
or may have had q hard time 10 cor gu
off u, We may have fought II back, b
At were vanqulshed. You say convs
sion Ia only an imaginary thing. v
know better. ave are witnesses
There never was 90 great
A change In our hearts and lie
ha any other subject a. on this. PeoT
~ laughed q, the missionaries In Mao
In gascsr because they preached B
lily peas without one convert, but the
ar. are 5000 converts In Madagascar
In day. People laughed at DR. Judso
" the Baptist missionary, because
W. kept on preaching In Burmah d
70 years witbou, q single convert, b
cd there are 10000 Bsptis's In Burn
ns today. People laughed at DR.. Nor
IN, con, In China, for preaching the
Ia seven years without q single cow,
In sion. but there are $1,000 Christia
ng In China today. People laughed
bg the missionaries for preaching nj ]
Oh aiti for fifteen years without sin,
IN, conversion, and Mt the missionaries
I'd, preaching In Benssl seventeen yeI
m. without single conversion, yet In
INT those lands there are multitudes
ng, Christians today.
'od Bat why 70 90 far 10 find eviden,
len OF the gospels power b save7 "N
are Witnesses" We were 20 pro
that no man could have humbled I
We were 20 hard no earthly pow
could have melted us; angels Of u
- were all around about ne, they cot
of not overcome u.s. But one day, p
~ hare At q Methodist anxious seat, OF
~, q Presbyterian cathechetical lec,u
sm or nj burial, or on horseback, q 20
~, or seised ne and made us get dow
- and mads rs tremble, aud made
Iii kneel, and made us cry for mercy, q
80 We tried 10 wrench ourselves aw
Nv from the grasp, but we could not.
III flung ne hai, and when We arose
49, were as much changed an Gourgs, /
w. heather, who went into prayer me
ing with dagger and gun 10 disiu
A.. A 4.